Every Door Direct Mail
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS service that lets you send mail to every address on one or more USPS letter-carrier routes — without needing each recipient’s name, without building or buying a mailing list, and without addressing each piece individually.
Three things make EDDM different from regular direct mail:
Restaurants, dentists, real estate agents, HVAC contractors, roofers, plumbers, auto repair shops, accountants, lawn services, dry cleaners, gyms, churches, and political campaigns are the most common EDDM users. If your business serves a defined geography and your customers come from within about 5–10 miles, EDDM is usually the lowest-cost channel for reaching them.
Here is how Accurate handles every EDDM mailing end-to-end, from route selection through USPS drop-off.
Choose 6.5×9, 4.5×12, or 8.5×11. All are USPS EDDM-qualified. More sizes are available on request.
Use our map to select USPS routes and compare median household income by route.
Send us your artwork, or ask about custom postcard design if you need help.
We handle USPS forms, bundling, and drop-off. Typical end-to-end timing is about 14 business days.
EDDM looks simple until you are at the USPS near closing time with routes, paperwork, trays, and bundles to sort out.
| Task | DIY | Accurate full-service |
|---|---|---|
| Route selection | You navigate the USPS mapping tool manually. | We provide expert route mapping and selection support. |
| Paperwork | You complete the USPS postage statements. | We handle the USPS documentation. |
| Bundling | You count and band mailers in USPS-required stacks. | We bundle and prepare the mailing to USPS specs. |
| Drop-off | You drive the mailers to the right post office and wait in line. | We deliver the mailing to the USPS entry unit for you. |
Running an EDDM campaign breaks down into eight steps. (Our four “Our Process” cards above show how we handle this for you; the steps below cover the full campaign end-to-end, whether you DIY or hire a vendor.)
EDDM requires at least one dimension longer than 10.5″, taller than 6.125″, or thicker than 0.25″. The three most common EDDM sizes are 6.5″ × 9″ (standard postcard), 4.5″ × 12″ (wide-format postcard), and 8.5″ × 11″ (full-page flyer).
A proper EDDM mapping tool shows every carrier route on a map. Filter by ZIP, by demographic data (age, household size, income — where available), and by route. Every route has a fixed number of homes; the total piece count is the sum of homes across the routes you pick.
A complete EDDM quote has three parts: print cost, postage, and (when a vendor files the USPS paperwork) a service component. Print varies with size and quantity; postage is the per-piece USPS rate × homes on the routes.
It must fit an EDDM-eligible size and include the required USPS indicia (see below). Most printers — including us — provide free EDDM templates with the indicia, address block, and bleeds laid out.
Standard production is full-bleed, two-sided, full-color on 100lb gloss cover for postcards or 80lb gloss text for full-page flyers.
USPS requires EDDM mail to arrive banded into bundles of 50–100 pieces per route, each with a printed route slip on top, and the postage statement (PS Form 3587) filed at drop-off. We file PS Form 3587, generate the route slips, and bundle by route for you; DIY filers do this themselves per USPS’s EDDM-Retail guide.
EDDM-Retail mail goes to the Post Office that delivers the selected routes. (EDDM-BMEU, a wholesale variant, drops at a Business Mail Entry Unit — the small-business default is retail.)
EDDM is not first-class speed. Plan campaigns two to three weeks ahead of any time-sensitive event.
EDDM-Retail postage is $0.247 per piece — USPS’s published rate for 2026, the same rate every printer in the country pays. It’s the only piece of EDDM pricing that’s truly fixed; everything else depends on the routes you pick, the size you choose, and the paper stock you order.
That’s why we built the free tool: instead of publishing print prices that go stale, we show you the live full price for your exact route selection — in about 2 minutes, with no account and no sales call.
The postage math (the one part you can do on a napkin): it’s just homes × $0.247.
| Routes selected | Total homes (example) | Postage subtotal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 route (e.g., Scottsdale 85260-C079) | 1,520 | $375.44 |
| 3 routes (typical ZIP cluster) | ~4,000 | ~$988 |
| 10 routes (saturation campaign) | ~12,000 | ~$2,964 |
That’s postage only. Print, route prep, PS Form 3587 filing, route slips, bundling, and drop-off are quoted live in our free tool the moment you select routes — different size, paper stock, and volume produce different numbers, and we’d rather show you the real one than publish a range that doesn’t fit your order.
What an EDDM order doesn’t include: Design — if you don’t have artwork, plan on professional design separately or use one of our free EDDM-compliant templates. Sales tax — for AZ buyers, expect roughly 8% added at checkout (Stripe calculates the exact rate for your billing address).
USPS-approved EDDM sizes have specific dimensional requirements. The three most popular:
6.5″ × 9″ Standard Postcard — the most popular EDDM size for restaurants, retail, and services. Design at 6.75″ × 9.25″ with 0.125″ bleed on all sides; 100lb gloss cover is standard.
4.5″ × 12″ Wide-Format Postcard — an eye-catching long shape that stands out in the mailbox. Design at 4.75″ × 12.25″ with 0.125″ bleed; same stock as the 6.5″ × 9″.
8.5″ × 11″ Full-Page Flyer — maximum visual real estate. Design at 8.75″ × 11.25″ with 0.125″ bleed; 80lb gloss text is standard, 100lb cover for a premium feel.
Why size matters for eligibility: USPS requires every EDDM piece to meet at least one “Flat” threshold — longer than 10.5″, taller than 6.125″, or thicker than 0.25″. All three sizes above clear those thresholds; a piece smaller than 6.125″ × 10.5″ doesn’t qualify for the EDDM-Retail rate. Print cost depends on size, paper stock, and quantity — see your live price in the free tool. Our EDDM templates are pre-built to the right dimensions with the indicia already placed; your designer drops the artwork in and you’re ready.
This is where small businesses either win or waste budget — the route selection matters more than the design.
A proper EDDM mapping tool shows, for every carrier route: the Route ID (e.g., C079 in ZIP 85260), total deliverable addresses, the residential vs. business split, median household income (where USPS demographic data is available), and sometimes median age and household size.
The three most effective targeting strategies for small-business EDDM:
1. Geographic radius around your location. For a retail or service location customers come to (restaurant, dental office, mechanic), proximity is the strongest predictor of new-customer conversion. Pick the 5–10 routes immediately surrounding your address — roughly 6,000–15,000 homes depending on density.
2. Income-matched routes. If your offer needs a certain income to land, filter routes by median household income. A $300 service offer wants routes above ~$75,000; a $5,000 offer wants ~$150,000+. Pulling the route demographic data takes seconds in a real EDDM tool.
3. Drive-time corridor. For businesses customers drive to (HVAC, plumbing, mobile services), pick routes along the corridors your existing customers actually drive from — cluster around major arterials, not random ZIPs.
What not to do: don’t pick “all routes in a ZIP.” A single ZIP can contain 20–50 routes that vary widely in income, age, and family composition; spraying every route often wastes a large share of the spend on demographic mismatches.
How our tool works: enter a ZIP, see every carrier route on a map color-coded by income tier, and click the routes you want. Each selection updates the homes count and the live price — a first quote takes under 90 seconds.
The indicia is the printed permit indicator in the upper-right corner of every EDDM piece, in place of a stamp. The standard EDDM-Retail indicia reads:
PRSRT STD ECRWSS U.S. POSTAGE PAID EDDM RETAIL
(EDDM-Retail uses no permit number — the “EDDM RETAIL” line takes the place of a permit imprint.) Every EDDM piece must also include the “Local Postal Customer” line in the designated address area. USPS’s EDDM-Retail guide shows the exact placement and font requirements.
These elements are non-negotiable: if your design omits the indicia or the recipient line, USPS rejects the mailing at intake. The good news — any decent EDDM template (including ours) builds these in by default.
Other USPS rules to know:
If you work with a printer/mail house, all of this is handled for you. DIY filers use USPS’s Business Customer Gateway and the EDDM-Retail guide.
EDDM consistently delivers for small businesses where the customer-acquisition math is favorable and the offer is locally relevant.
Industry-specific guides coming soon.
There are three situations where EDDM is the wrong choice.
1. Your customers aren’t local. EDDM is geographic by definition. A SaaS company, a national e-commerce store, or a B2B service selling to specific industries spread nationally isn’t defined by a USPS route — you need targeted lists, not EDDM.
2. You need response speed measured in hours. EDDM delivers in 7–10 business days. For a same-week response to a Friday-night event, EDDM is too slow; digital channels (Google Ads, Meta) are better for instant urgency.
3. Your offer doesn’t work on cold prospects. EDDM hits cold houses — recipients with no prior relationship to your brand. If your offer needs consultation, trust, or a multi-step nurture before purchase, EDDM alone won’t close it. Use it as part of a multi-touch campaign with a low-friction front-end offer (a discount, a free assessment, a low-cost trial) — never as the only touchpoint expecting a high-friction conversion.
In 25 years we’ve seen small businesses run a single EDDM campaign with a complex offer, get a poor response, and conclude “direct mail doesn’t work” — when actually the offer or audience match was the problem. EDDM works when the geography matches your customer and the offer is simple enough for a cold prospect to act on quickly.
A quick comparison for small businesses choosing between EDDM and the next-most-common channels (ranges are channel context, not a quote for your order — see the free tool for your exact EDDM price):
| Channel | Best for | Per-touchpoint cost | Audience | Speed to results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EDDM | Local geographic targeting; cold-prospect outreach | $0.30–$0.50 (postage + print) | Every door on chosen routes | 7–10 business days |
| Google Ads (Search) | Existing search intent | $2–$15 per click | Active searchers | Same day |
| Meta/Facebook Ads | Demographic + interest targeting | $0.50–$3 per click | Social users matching targets | Same day |
| Targeted Direct Mail (with list) | Specific demographic profiles | $0.75–$1.50 per piece | Purchased mailing list | 5–7 business days |
| Door hangers | Hyper-local, physical | $0.20–$0.40 (printing only; distribution extra) | Walked routes | Depends on distributor |
The honest answer for most local businesses: EDDM is the right primary channel when you have a defined geography and a simple offer. Pair it with Google Search Ads to catch the people who later search your business name after seeing the postcard — the two-touch pattern that’s worked well for our customers.
Pick your mailer size and routes. See your live price in about 2 minutes. No salesperson. No callback.
Start Your Instant EDDM Quote →
If this page didn’t answer your question, we’d rather you call than guess: 602-433-9101. We’ve been doing this since 2000, and we’d rather help you make a smart EDDM decision than push a sale.
We help thousands of businesses plan, print, and mail direct mail campaigns with practical guidance from a local team that understands USPS requirements.
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS program that lets a small business send mail to every address on selected letter-carrier routes without buying a mailing list or addressing each piece. The Post Office delivers one piece to every door on the routes you choose.
EDDM-Retail saturation postage is $0.247 per piece (USPS-published 2026 rate). That’s the postage component alone — print, route prep, USPS form filing, and drop-off run on top. See your live full price for a specific route selection in our free tool (no account required).
USPS typically delivers EDDM-Retail mail in 7–10 business days from drop-off. With our 3–5 business days of printing and bundling, plan on about 14 business days end-to-end for a full-service campaign. Plan two to three weeks ahead of any time-sensitive event.
You pick your mailer size, select USPS carrier routes on a map, get a quote, design to USPS specs, print, bundle by route, drop at the Post Office, and USPS delivers in 7–10 business days. No mailing list required.
Around 400 pieces, though the exact minimum depends on the routes you select. Our quote tool shows the precise minimum once you’ve chosen routes.
The three most common EDDM-qualified sizes are 6.5″ × 9″ (standard postcard), 4.5″ × 12″ (wide-format), and 8.5″ × 11″ (full-page flyer). Any size meeting one USPS “Flat” threshold (longer than 10.5″, taller than 6.125″, or thicker than 0.25″) qualifies. Other qualifying sizes are available — contact us if you need something specific.
No. EDDM uses USPS’s carrier-route delivery; you select routes, not addresses. Every household on the route gets a piece automatically.
EDDM is a total-market saturation service — every household on a chosen route receives a piece. You can filter the routes themselves by available USPS demographic data (median income, age, household size). For finer individual-household targeting, we offer mailing lists — contact us for a custom list.
Yes — send us your artwork or ask about custom design.
Yes — see our print-only EDDM postcards. Postcards ship bundled in 100s (a USPS requirement).
For local businesses with a defined geographic customer base and a simple offer, EDDM is usually the lowest-cost channel for reaching cold prospects. Postage alone is $0.247 per piece (USPS-published); print and service depend on your routes, size, and quantity — see your live price in our free tool. The breakeven math is favorable for most local businesses when one new customer is worth $200+. Actual response rates vary by category, offer, and timing — we don’t quote benchmarks because they’re misleading.
The EDDM indicia is a small printed block in the upper-right corner of every EDDM piece that takes the place of a stamp, identifying it as EDDM-Retail mail with prepaid postage. Any standard EDDM template (including ours) includes it pre-positioned.
You can DIY if you’re comfortable with the USPS paperwork, route slips, bundling, and Post Office drop-off. Most owners prefer a printer/mail house that handles the whole workflow because the time saved is usually worth more than the small service fee. See our DIY vs. Full-Service comparison above.
EDDM-Retail is the small-business default: pieces drop at the destination Post Office, capped at 5,000 pieces per ZIP per day per mailer. EDDM-BMEU is the wholesale variant for higher-volume mailings dropped at a Business Mail Entry Unit. For most small businesses, EDDM-Retail is the right choice.
Regular direct mail needs a mailing list of individual addresses. EDDM uses USPS’s route-based delivery without addresses — every household on the route gets a piece. EDDM is typically cheaper per piece (lower postage, no list cost) but less precise than list-based mail.
